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(No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. l, G.H.PO0.R. AUTOMATIC GAR BRAKE.

No. 356,231. Patented Jan. 18, 1887. v

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G. H. POOR. I e

7 AUTOMATIC GAR BRAKE. .No. 356,231. Patented Jan. 18 1887.

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N. PETERS PhcWl-Whognphbr, Washin ton. D C

theirs YATES PATENT anion,

GEORGE H. POOR, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN BRAKECOMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

AUTOMATIC OARHBRAKF.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 358,231, dated January18,1887.

Application filed January 25, 1886. Serial No. 189,656. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. PooR, a citizen of the United States,residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented certaiunew and useful Improvements in a System of Leverage for ApplyingCar-Brakes; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, where-in Figure 1 is a top view of a truck with the systemapplied, the floor of the car being removed. Fig. 2 is a verticallongitudinal section on the line 0000, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detached planor skeleton view of the system.

Fig. 4 is adetached detail section of the brakebeam and relief-spring.Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail View of the end of the draw-bar, the latch,and the intermediate fulcrum-lever.

Like letters refer to like parts wherever they occur.

My present invention relates to an automatic brake system wherein thelevers,which are fulcrumed on the brake-beams, are so 0011- 2 5 nectedwith each other and with an interposed horizontally-arranged power-leverlocated in the plane of the movable draw-bar as that said system, whileadapted to hand-braking, is also especially adapted to be operatedautomatically by the movement of the draw-bar.

It has for its object, primarily, to apply the power evenly anduniformly to all the wheels of the truck, avoid the use ofthe wheelsasafulcrum, as well as the use of a fixed or non-compensatingfulcrum;secondly,to provide means for taking up the slack of the brake-shoes;and, thirdly, to adapt the system so that it can be readily applied toany of the variouslyconstructed trucks now in use.

The objection to the common systems of le verage for applying brakeslies, mainly, in the fact that the power is applied first to onebrake-beam, takes up the lost motion of said shoes or beam, and istransmitted from said beam to the second beam, the first set of wheelsbecoming a fulcrum and absorbing the larger portion of the power. As aresult of this the set'of wheels which act as a fulcrum are caused toslide, are often. flattened and 5o rendered worthless, and there isconsiderable loss from wear and tear of wheels and shoes, with all theattendant disadvantages. Further, where the brake-beams are suspendedfrom the bed, the loaded or unloaded condition of the bed causes achange of relation of 5 5 the shoe and wheel, and from other causesthere is a slack or space between the shoe and wheel which cannot betaken up or overcome without loss of time and power in the operation ofthe brakes.

Another feature of the invention, which relates more especially to anautomatic system of brakes actuated from a movable draw-bar, consists incombining with the interposed lever a shouldered latch so pivoted thatwhen the brakes are applied by the movement of the draw-bar the strainor shock shall be transmitted directly from the latch to the powerleverwithout passing through the latch-pivot, as heretofore.

There are minor features of construction, which will hereinafter morefully appear.

I will now proceed to describe my invention more specifically, so thatothers skilled in the art to which it appertains may apply the same. 7 5

In the drawings, A A, &c., indicate the wheels, 13 the truck bolster, Cthe sandboard D D the draw-bar timbers of the bed,

E the axles, G G the brake-beams, and II the brake-shaft with its chainh, all of which may be as shown or of any approved form, as suchfeatures constitute no part of the present invention.

In carrying out the first part of my invention, I apply to bothbrake-beams the brake- 8 5 levers or fulcrum-levers I I, and on the bolt73 of one, preferably the one passing through the inner brake-beam, Iplace a helical spring,

1 whose power approximates the power to be applied to the brakes,confining said helical 0 or relief spring by means of a nut and jamnutor equivalent means, as shown at i.

At some point between the brake-beams (preferably just in rear of thepush-bar, for

reasons which will hereinafter appear) I inter- 5 pose an independentpower-lever, K, pivoted on a fixed point-as, for instance, on one of thedraw-bar timbers.

The brake-levers or fulcrum-levers I I are connected by the brake rod orchain is, and zoo the intermediate power-lever is then connected withthe fulcrum-levers or brake-levers I I by two independent rods, 7.) andif, so that when the power is applied to the power-lever K it pulls uponboth brake-beams simultaneously, and thus evenly divides and applies thepower, so that there is no danger of sliding the wheels or unevenlywearing the brake-shoes.

It will be observed that the horizontal position of the lever K causesit to receive the thrust of the draw-bar in substantially a direct line,and at the same time permits the upper pull-rod, It, to pass over thebolster B close under the bed and effect a direct or line pull on thefulcrum-lever. If the power applied is excessive, the relief-spring Iwill be compressed, an d thus prevent injury to wheels, shoes, &c.

The power may be applied to lever K either by means of the brake-shaft Hand its chain It, in the usual manner, or by means of the movabledraw-bar in the case of an automatic brake.

In the present instance I have shown, for purposes of illustration, oneform of the wellknown American Brake Oompanys automatic brake,consisting of a centrifugal governor, L, and sliding collar Z, on theaxle, a pivoted fork, M, bell-crank m, and latch N, controlled thereby.W ith the exception of the latch N, the parts of the automatic brakemechanism are not embraced in the presentinvention, are not hereinclaimed, and may be of any several well-known classes. The latch N,however, embodies features which especially adapt it to its presentposition and use,

which are as follows: It is shouldered, as at n, (or may have theequivalent thereof, a lug,) which, when the latch is inline with thedrawbar so as to receive the impact thereof, engages with thepower-lever K, so as to transmit the force directly from the draw-bar tothe lever without passing through the latch-pivot. Furthermore, saidlatch a is suspended below the power-lever K,so as to be within fullsight or easy inspection at all times,which is an important matter, asthis latch is the link between the brake mechanism and the power in caseof automatic brakes, and it is important that any derangement thereof orof the mechanism bywhich it is connected with the governor) should beimmediately discovered.

The devices being of the general character hereinbefore set forth willoperate as follows: Power being applied to the power-lever K, either byhand through the brake-shaft H and chain It in the usual manner, orthrough the movable draw-bar and latch, the intermediate power-lever isrocked on its pivot, and pulls equally and directly on both brake-beamsI I and thus distributes the power uniformly to all the wheels. In caseof an automatic brake the system acts in like manner, and the latchtransmits the-power from the draw-bar in the manner as before specified.

Having thus set forth the nature, operation, and advantages ofmyinvention,what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-- 1. In a system of leverage for automatic brakes, the combination,with the brake-levers connected by a rod or chain, of an intermediatepower-lever arranged horizontally in rear of the push-bar, and havingits opposite arms connected with the opposite brake-levers, and amovable draw-bar which acts on the intermediate power-lever,substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. In an automatic brake system, the combination,with a movabledraw-bar, and apowerlever which operates the brakes, of an interposedlatch having shoulders which engage with the draw-bars and thepower-lever so as to relieve the pivot or fulcrum of the latch fromstrain, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. In an automatic brake system, the combination, with a movabledraw-bar and a horizontal power-lever for actuating the brakes, of

a shouldered latch pivotally suspended below the power-lever, and agovernor for controlling the latch automatically, substantially as andfor the purposes specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses,this 2d day of January, 1886.

GEORGE H. POOR.

Witnesses:

HENRY A. Wanrnrrr, E. B. LEIGH.

